Children are increasingly vulnerable when it comes to communication. At least, that's what emerges from the Étude québécoise sur le développement des enfants à la maternelle (EQDEM) 2022, the results of which were presented on November 12 by Vaudreuil-Soulanges' early childhood partners, the Direction de la santé publique de la Montérégie and the Table de concertation en petite enfance de Vaudreuil-Soulanges.

Conducted throughout Quebec every five years, the study's objective is to provide a portrait of the development of children enrolled in 5-year-old kindergarten, in five areas: physical health and well-being, social skills, emotional maturity, cognitive and language development, and communication skills and general knowledge.

In Vaudreuil-Soulanges, 1,800 children were targeted by the most recent version of the study, which “observed” those attending 5-year-old kindergarten full-time, in a French- or English-speaking, private or public establishment. Of these, 570, or 30.5%, showed signs of vulnerability in at least one of the skill areas observed.

It should be noted, however, that the study excludes children who are home-schooled, those attending a specialized school, those with an ADHD code and those enrolled in a federally-regulated school.

"What surprised people the most, when the results were presented, was the presence of vulnerability in advantaged and moderately advantaged environments, versus disadvantaged environments. In the sense that vulnerable children are everywhere, regardless of social class," explains Marie-Chantal Vigneau Hamel, Community Organizer - Youth Programs and Public Health Activities Branch at CISSSMO.

"The study also shows that children in so-called vulnerable environments are not necessarily vulnerable. This raises questions about the services offered in these environments," she adds.

The report shows that 27% of children who showed signs of vulnerability in one of the competencies came from an advantaged environment. 31% come from a moderately advantaged environment and 32% from an advantaged environment.

According to Ms. Vigneault-Hamel, among other things, the EQDEM makes it possible to demonstrate whether or not the measures put in place are effective. "We can't hide the fact that a child's development is multi-factorial. It's essential to question the factors or contextual changes that can influence the development of different cohorts of children."

Communication skills affected

The study found that 13.9% of children were vulnerable in terms of communication and general knowledge.

Children whose mother tongue was neither French nor English were the most affected, at 38%. Among children whose mother tongue is French, the rate of vulnerability is 26%, compared with 40% for those whose first language is English.

"English-speaking children attending English-speaking schools are more vulnerable than other children. This is surprising, considering that Vaudreuil-Soulanges has a growing immigrant population, and the proportion of English-speaking people is higher than in the rest of the Montérégie region," points out Ms. Vigneau-Hamel.

"When we look at the data, we have to take into account that it includes children from immigrant families who have not attended an educational childcare service. These children arrive at kindergarten speaking only their mother tongue, which is neither French nor English. For example, at Harwood Elementary School, in one kindergarten class, 13 out of 17 children spoke neither English nor French. So that plays into the numbers," adds Nancy Pelletier, Executive Director of the Centre prénatal et jeunes familles.

In 2017, at the time of the second edition of the EQDEM, the rate of children vulnerable in terms of communication and general knowledge in Vaudreuil-Soulanges was 10%. By 2022, the rate had risen to 13.9%. An increase described as surprising by stakeholders.

"That the vulnerability rate has increased in this area is surprising, as there are many things in place to encourage development.Vaudreuil-Soulanges has affiliated with Haut-Saint-Laurent and Suroît to set up a concerted continuum of services in community speech therapy, and this service is working very well.Activities include information sessions on language and communication for toddlers.Language stimulation workshops are also given by the Maison de la famille de Vaudreuil-Soulanges, to name but a few. At the same time, we realize that if these resources didn't exist, perhaps the rate of vulnerability would be much higher," says an astonished Marie-Chantal Vigneault-Hamel.

The benefits of educational childcare and teleworking

According to the study, 14% of the children in the study had never attended an educational childcare service (ECS) before entering kindergarten. The data suggest that attending an ECEC program has positive effects on children's development. Among other things, it offers a protective factor for the development of communication skills and general knowledge.

4-year-old kindergartens also have a positive impact on children's communication and general knowledge, even though, according to the study and stakeholder observations, there aren't enough 4-year-old kindergarten classes in Vaudreuil-Soulanges.

"We noticed that teleworking also has positive effects on child development. Stakeholders were very surprised to learn this. We think it's due to the fact that parents are at home more often, because they don't have to travel," says the community organizer.

Raising awareness one social player at a time

When the results were presented on November 12, a number of community stakeholders were in attendance, along with a few representatives from the municipal world. According to Nancy Pelletier who, in addition to managing the Centre prénatal et jeunes familles, sits on the municipal council of L'Île-Perrot, the event was well received by municipal players.

"A lot of elected officials were very happy to take part and learn about the existence of this data. It's certain that with this in mind, municipal thinking in relation to toddlers will no longer be the same", she believes.

"It's obvious that by presenting the data to cities and municipalities, we raise their awareness of the actions taken or to be taken to ensure the optimal development of toddlers. One example is park design. The study shows that 8.9% of vulnerable children show signs of vulnerability in terms of physical health and well-being. Not all children have access to physical activities," adds Amélie Viger of the Maison de la famille de Vaudreuil-Soulanges.

"When we look at the 2017 study, the most vulnerable area was physical health and well-being. Today, five years later, we realize that this area is doing better.So there are measures in place that are working," adds Ms. Vigneault-Hamel.

Any solutions?

At the end of the meeting, several possible solutions were presented. Among them, Marie-Chantal Vigneault mentioned:

- identifying vulnerable families before they enter kindergarten;

- workshops on free and active play for educators, teachers and parents;

- improving the range of leisure activities offered through the Accès-Loisirs program;

- The introduction of welcoming classes starting in kindergarten.

Whatever the case, Pelletier, Viger and Vigneault-Hamel agree that there are many solutions, and that everyone has a role to play in the development of young children.

"We need to see the study as a tool to reshape our action plan and ensure that it dovetails with the EQDEM data. We need to ask ourselves whether projects can be carried out, developed in collaboration with other partners at the table de concertation or elsewhere, to advance the cause of toddlers. One thing is certain: we must all work together," concludes Nancy Pelletier.